In 1973 Paulette Jiles arrived in Northern Ontario to run a community radio station for the CBC. Romantic notions of primitive life quickly faded in the harsh setting. The first night, her axe bounced off frozen logs, and she would have frozen without a willing husky pup who shared her bed. She relied on helpful neighbors and quickly became a respected member of the community.

The reader is treated to warm, humorous vignettes that convey Jiles's reverence for native tradition, myth and storytelling and her affection for unforgettable colleagues and companions.